Humidifier for warm air furnaces



March 15, 1938. AC. BRINTNALL HUMIDIFIER FOR WARM AIR FURNACES Filed Apfil 12, 1957 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 15, 1938 HUMIDIFIER FOR WARM AIR FURNACES Archibald O. Brintnall,

Denver, 0010., assignor to Hot Spray Humidifier Co., a corporation Application April 12,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a humidifier for warm air furnaces.

Most warm air furnaces are provided with a Water p'an which is supposed to be kept filled with water so that the latter may be vaporized into the warm air being furnished tothe rooms. These water pans are not satisfactory since they develop no vapor until the entire volume has been brought substantially to the boiling point and then the entire contents of the pan is rapidly vaporized and will probably be left dry for a I considerable period before the operator notices the absence of water.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a. humidifier which will employ vapor pressure to continuously feed a supply of water to a humidifying pan so that a continuous supply of vapor is furnished depending upon the amount of heat being developed by the furnace.

Another object of the invention is to provide a humidifier in which onlya small amount of water will be heated at any one time and then a still smaller quantity will be vaporized so that humidifying will be started quickly after the furnace is heated.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efliciency. These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawing and throughout the description.

In the drawing:-

Fig. l is a side view of a typical hot air heating furnace with the jacket partially broken away to show the interior construction.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the vaporizing pan.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view illustrating an alternate form of the vaporizing pan.

Fig. 4 is a similar detail sectional view illustrating an alternate form of pressure chamber.

In the drawing a typical hot air furnace is indicated at II] with its fire pot at I I, heating dome at I2, distributing cap at I 3, and hot air outlet nipples at I4.

The invention is applied to the furnace by placing a closed expansion chamber I5 adjacent the fire pot II and feeding water to the expansion chamber I5 from a suitable reservoir I6 upon the exterior of the furnace through a feed pipe or 1937, Serial No. 136,375

tube II in which the return flow is controlled by means of a check valve I8.

The expansion chamber I5 is entirely closed so that when the water therein is brought to the vaporizing point the vapor will create a pressure in the chamber.

An outlet pipe I9 leads from a point adjacent the bottom of the chamber I5 upwardly and over the dome I2 of the furnace terminating in a vaporizing pan 2B in which a dispersion screen 2| is placed. The reservoir I6 should be at a point sufiiciently high to supply water to the chamber I5 by gravity.

When in use the vapor pressure in the chamber I5 presses downwardly upon the water therein forcing this water up the pipe I9 into the pan 20. The check valve I8 prevents return flow to the reservoir. When the water level in the chamber reaches the outlet of pipe I9, and relieves the pressure in the reservoir I6, the weight of the water in the reservoir I6 opens the valve I8 and allows additional water to flow from the reservoir I6 to again partially fill the chamber I5.

When the fire pot is relatively cool the contracting vapor in the chamber I5 will create a partial vacuum therein which will act to draw water from the reservoir into the chamber. When the temperature of the fire again rises this water will be expelled to the vaporizing pan 2!] so that a continuous cycle of operation is obtained as long as the reservoir I6 is kept supplied. The reservoir can be made to hold a much greater supply of water than the usual water pan of a furnace so that it need not be filled frequently.

The Water spurts intermittently from the pipe I9. These spurts are broken and dispersed by means of the screen 2I to spread the water over the screen and pan so that it will vaporize quickly.

The position of the pan over the hot dome I2 causes exceedingly elficient and rapid vaporization. This is assisted by the fact that the water reaching the pan 20 has been pre-heated almost to the boiling point in the chamber I5 so that it will vaporize almost instantly when reaching the pan 20.

An alternate form of vaporizing pan is shown in Fig. 3 in which the pipe I 9 is conducted through a receiving pan 22 and through a perforated disc 23 therein terminating in a jet nozzle24 which is directed against a dispersion plate 25. In this form, the jet of water strikes the hot plate 25 and is spread thereover to provide a large vaporization surface. The excess water will fall back onto the disc 23 where it will be vaporized and any further excess will reach the pan 22.

While a, specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is de-- sired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent 1s:-

1. A humidifier for warm air furnaces of the type having a fire box and heating dome comprising: a Vertically positioned closed pressure chamber; means for supporting said pressure chamber adjacent the fire box of a furnace; a reservoir; means for supporting said reservoir on the exterior of said furnace on substantially the same level as said pressure chamber; an inside ofand: over said heating dome; and a humid-- ifying pan supported on the upper extremity of said outlet tube to receive the water discharged from said pressure chamber by the vapor pressure therein.

2. A humidifier for warm air furnaces of the type having a fire box and heating dome comprising: a vertically positioned closed pressure chamber; means for supporting said pressure chamber adjacent the fire box-f a furnace; a reservoir; means for supporting said reservoir on the exterior of said furnace on substantially the same level as said pressure chamber; an inlet tube communicating through the wall of said furnace between the bottom of said reservoir and the bottom of said pressure chamber to maintain the water level in said pressure chamber at the same height as the water level in said reservoir; a check valve in said inlet tube preventing return of water to said reservoir; an outlet tube extending from a point belowthe normal water level in said pressure chamber upwardly alongside of and over said heating dome, the upper extremity of said outlet being vertically positioned; a, vaporizing pan surrounding and supported by the vertically positioned upper extremity of said outlet tube, the. open extremity of said tube projecting through the bottom of said pan; and a dispersion means positioned above the open extremity of said tube to disperse the water discharging from said tube.

3. A humidifier for warm air furnaces of the type having a fire box and heating dome comprising: a vertically positioned closed: pressure chamber; means for supporting said pressure chamber adjacent the fire box of a furnace; a reservoir; means for supporting said reservoir on the exterior of said furnace on substantially the same level as said pressure chamber; an inlet tube communicating through the wall of said furnace between the bottom of said reservoir and the bottom of said pressure chamber to maintain the water levelin said pressure chamber at the same height as the water level in. said reservoir; a check valve in said inlet tube preventing return of water .to said reservoir; an outlet tube extending from .a pointbelow the normal Water level in said pressure chamber upwardly alongside ofand over said heating dome; and.

means to receive the water discharged from said pressure chamber by the vapor pressure therein.

ARCI-HBALD c. BRIN'I'NALL. 

